UN Reports 200+ Child Rapes in Sudan, 2024

In the ongoing conflict within Sudan, a deeply troubling revelation has emerged, underscoring the brutality faced by the nation’s youngest. According to a recent report by UNICEF, children as young as one-year-old have become victims of rape in the year 2024. This act is being utilized as a war tactic, highlighting the severe circumstances in conflict-affected areas.

The report by UNICEF disclosed that 221 children, including both boys and girls, have suffered sexual violence at the hands of armed groups in Sudan. These findings were collected through gender-based violence service providers operating in the region. The conflict in Sudan initiated in April 2023, involving clashes between the national military forces and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, causing turmoil across Khartoum and various other states. Since the outbreak, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 20,000 individuals, though real figures may be significantly higher, and displaced more than 14 million people, some into famine conditions.

Various organizations have raised alarms over the rising instances of atrocities committed during this war, notably involving acts of sexual assault and coerced child marriages, with both sides of the conflict being implicated. UNICEF had previously highlighted that around 61,800 children have become internally displaced since the conflict’s onset. In a recent update, the agency documented instances of sexual assaults on children during city raids.

UNICEF revealed that over 30% of the victimized children were boys and that the victims included 16 children who were under five years old and four infants. These incidents were reported in multiple states, namely Gedaref, Kassala, Gezeira, Khartoum, River Nile, Northern State, South Kordofan, North Darfur, and West Darfur. Out of the 221 rape cases reported, 73 were directly linked to conflict circumstances, while 71 were not, and others remained unidentified.

The UNICEF spokesperson emphasized the compounding impact of social stigma and restricted access to support services, which likely means the data seen is only a fraction of a much larger, horrifying reality. Survivors often hesitate to come forward due to fear of armed group retribution or family backlash.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, has labeled the use of sexual violence, including rape, as a war tactic that grossly violates international laws that protect children. A network documenting violence against women and girls also reported that approximately 23% of the conflict-related sexual violations involve young girls in regions like South Kordofan, where even a boy faced rape at gunpoint.

First-hand narratives from Ingram, a Sudan visitor, depicted the tragic aftermath faced by survivors dealing with both physical and profound psychological traumas, including suicide attempts. An instance was shared about a young girl from Omdurman who was repeatedly displaced due to pregnancy from rape, causing social stigmatization at shelter homes.

In a rather harrowing personal testimony, one woman described her abduction by armed men, enduring severe beatings and forced labor during a 19-day captivity shared with other women and girls. During her account, she shared the plight of a 15-year-old girl forced to take pills before being repeatedly raped, showcasing the unimaginable horrors that continue in these war zones.

These disturbing trends indicate a dire need for urgent international intervention to protect the vulnerable and hold aggressors accountable in Sudan, preventing further use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.